NPR'S ANNE GARRELS - SLOPPY REPORTING

I want to draw your attention to an important post on the blog NPR Check about NPR's All Things Considered this past Sunday May 6, 2007. NPR Check quotes Anne Garrels in Baghdad talking about the U.S. military seizing arms caches:

"Garrels: "The US military says expanded operations have generated better intelligence, leading to the seizure last month of 731 weapons caches, more than double the number found in January. Despite this Major General Rick Lynch told reporters both Sunni and Shiite extremists are increasingly using sophisticated roadside explosives with technology from Iran that can pierce armored vehicles. He said he expected the rate of American casualties to increase over the next ninety days, with the so-called surge only having a decisive effect by September.""

NPR Check correctly points out that Anne Garrels offers: "Not one scrap of evidence. Not one bit of skepticism."

This is the trouble with many media reports from Iraq. Reporters wily-nily take the talking points of the U.S. military and then offer them to their U.S. audience without any scepticism or questioning cynicism. I am sure it is easier for Anne Garrels to write her dispatch this way. But look at the damage it does. It demonizes Iran without any acceptable evidence. No wonder that many Americans accept the administration's line that Iran is the "enemy of the United States." This is all a prelude to Bush & Co. justifying a war against Iran. And it is done because of the laziness and sloppiness of reporters.